Look, Reed hasn’t put it up for sale, yet. Next time we’re both in Seattle I’ll bring you over. If you’re not convinced, you can tell me to fuck off.”
“Look up the meaning of the word no, Matt. It's time for me to call it a night,” he growls.
“You’re missing out on such a great opportunity, Trist.”
He growls with the nickname, and I can’t help but laugh. “As much as I miss you, I have to go. Good night, Decker.”
“Night, dream of me.” I hang up before he explodes or I tell him that I miss him too.
“Rise and shine,” an annoying voice calls out.
And without any warning, a flare of sunshine hits me all at once.
“Go away, Ainsley Janine.” I pull the blankets over my head, regretting yesterday’s decision to come and crash at her house. “It’s too early.”
“No. It’s ten in the morning,” she adds with her chirpy morning voice. “You said something about having shit to do. A meeting or something.” The covers are ripped from my grasp and her eyes meet mine. “Yes, I remember. Work. I think that’s what the peasants call it.”
“These accommodations are terrible.” I scratch my head. “There’s no breakfast in bed and the help is way too noisy.”
“If you wanted me to feed you, you’d have to be downstairs before eight.” She looks at her bare wrists, pretending to read the time, and shakes her head. “Past feeding time, sorry. You can use those housekeeping skills and do it yourself. Now wake up.”
AJ reaches for something on the nightstand. A mug. She starts moving it closer to where I lay down and I jump up from the bed before she pours that shit on me.
“What?” She pulls her best innocent voice. “I’m handing you a cup of coffee.” The sweet smile doesn’t fool me.
I snatch the mug, take a few sips, and narrow my gaze. “You’re evil.” She bats her eyelashes at me, gifting me that innocent smile I can't be upset at. “You sure you can’t whip one of those fancy omelets for your favorite brother?”
“My favorite brother is out of town,” she lies. AJ loves us both, but she babies me more than she does Jacob. “Tell me why you came to crash so late at night and maybe I’ll feed you.”
Information. That’s AJ’s weakness. Give her information-knowledge and she’ll do anything.
“I’m your favorite.” I put on my T-shirt and leave on the sweats Bradley lent me last night. “I didn’t want to go home. It’s not the same without Jacob. Plus I helped with the three o’clock feeding.”
“You did?” She arches a perfectly delineated eyebrow. “What was Mase doing?”
“Well, I changed her diaper and all that shit while he got the baby bottle ready. Something about the temperature and shit I wouldn't get right.”
AJ nods a couple times as if she understands and then spins around walking toward the door.
“Come on, Matthew. Let’s get you breakfast. I guess you worked for it.”
“Since we’re in such a great mood, can I also borrow your computer to do some of that . . . work?”
“Is that how you go to work at the office? I doubt the suits would approve,” she huffs, spinning her body around and giving me that inquisitive gaze. “When are you going back to Lalaland?”
“Next week. I decided to change my schedule and travel every other week. Unless the people at Transcending Productions start bitching about my absence. It all depends.” I trail off, not wanting to add that the suits might take the opportunity to kick me out of the company and take over.
“Depends,” she says with a deflated body. “I don’t like that word.”
I don’t like it either. If I could change things, I’d move the entire company to Seattle—or Vancouver. My leverage to skip my usual trip is that I have to keep an eye on everybody’s business.
“For the next three months you’ll see me around more. There’s Jacob’s shit to take care of, and you need a hand too.” Mason brought to my attention that my sister is starting
“Look up the meaning of the word no, Matt. It's time for me to call it a night,” he growls.
“You’re missing out on such a great opportunity, Trist.”
He growls with the nickname, and I can’t help but laugh. “As much as I miss you, I have to go. Good night, Decker.”
“Night, dream of me.” I hang up before he explodes or I tell him that I miss him too.
“Rise and shine,” an annoying voice calls out.
And without any warning, a flare of sunshine hits me all at once.
“Go away, Ainsley Janine.” I pull the blankets over my head, regretting yesterday’s decision to come and crash at her house. “It’s too early.”
“No. It’s ten in the morning,” she adds with her chirpy morning voice. “You said something about having shit to do. A meeting or something.” The covers are ripped from my grasp and her eyes meet mine. “Yes, I remember. Work. I think that’s what the peasants call it.”
“These accommodations are terrible.” I scratch my head. “There’s no breakfast in bed and the help is way too noisy.”
“If you wanted me to feed you, you’d have to be downstairs before eight.” She looks at her bare wrists, pretending to read the time, and shakes her head. “Past feeding time, sorry. You can use those housekeeping skills and do it yourself. Now wake up.”
AJ reaches for something on the nightstand. A mug. She starts moving it closer to where I lay down and I jump up from the bed before she pours that shit on me.
“What?” She pulls her best innocent voice. “I’m handing you a cup of coffee.” The sweet smile doesn’t fool me.
I snatch the mug, take a few sips, and narrow my gaze. “You’re evil.” She bats her eyelashes at me, gifting me that innocent smile I can't be upset at. “You sure you can’t whip one of those fancy omelets for your favorite brother?”
“My favorite brother is out of town,” she lies. AJ loves us both, but she babies me more than she does Jacob. “Tell me why you came to crash so late at night and maybe I’ll feed you.”
Information. That’s AJ’s weakness. Give her information-knowledge and she’ll do anything.
“I’m your favorite.” I put on my T-shirt and leave on the sweats Bradley lent me last night. “I didn’t want to go home. It’s not the same without Jacob. Plus I helped with the three o’clock feeding.”
“You did?” She arches a perfectly delineated eyebrow. “What was Mase doing?”
“Well, I changed her diaper and all that shit while he got the baby bottle ready. Something about the temperature and shit I wouldn't get right.”
AJ nods a couple times as if she understands and then spins around walking toward the door.
“Come on, Matthew. Let’s get you breakfast. I guess you worked for it.”
“Since we’re in such a great mood, can I also borrow your computer to do some of that . . . work?”
“Is that how you go to work at the office? I doubt the suits would approve,” she huffs, spinning her body around and giving me that inquisitive gaze. “When are you going back to Lalaland?”
“Next week. I decided to change my schedule and travel every other week. Unless the people at Transcending Productions start bitching about my absence. It all depends.” I trail off, not wanting to add that the suits might take the opportunity to kick me out of the company and take over.
“Depends,” she says with a deflated body. “I don’t like that word.”
I don’t like it either. If I could change things, I’d move the entire company to Seattle—or Vancouver. My leverage to skip my usual trip is that I have to keep an eye on everybody’s business.
“For the next three months you’ll see me around more. There’s Jacob’s shit to take care of, and you need a hand too.” Mason brought to my attention that my sister is starting
Similar Books
